Life Hacks: Health and Fitness

Chapter 3: Health and Fitness
  • When you feel the urge to drink or smoke, go for a run, do twenty sit-ups, or some other activity that will get you moving. You'll soon start to associate quitting the habit with being fit.
  • When you're thirsty and limited water is available, rinse your mouth for thirty seconds before swallowing. Most of your "thirst" comes from a dry mouth.
  • Exhale when your left food hits the ground to avoid cramps while running.
  • Drinking two cups of water before meals can make you lose an average of four and a half more pounds in twelve weeks.
  • Recipe for relaxation: Exhale completely, inhale for four seconds, hold your breath for seven seconds, and exhale for eight seconds.
  • Listening to music while working out can boost your running and lifting ability by 15%.
  • Eating a small amount of chocolate in the morning can actually help your body burn calories and lose weight throughout the day.

5 simple weight loss tips
1. Drink more water.
2. Adjust your portion sizes.
3. Lower your sugar intake.
4. Limit carbs to one time per day.
5. No fast food.

  • Drinking sixteen ounces of water will increase your metabolism by up to 30%.
  • Want to lose weight? Don't eat anything four hours before you go to bed.
  • The more organized you are, the less likely you are to develop Alzheimer's disease.
  • The cells in your body react to everything that your mind says. Negativity actually brings down your immune system.
  • Drinking five cups of green tea in a day can help you lose weight around your belly.

10 reasons you should drink more water
1. It increases energy and relieves fatigue.
2. It helps your body lose weight.
3. It reduces your risk of getting kidney stones or a urinary tract infection.
4. It improves your skin's complexion.
5. It helps digest your food, preventing constipation.
6. It boosts your immune system.
7. It acts as a natural headache remedy.
8. It prevents cramps and sprains by keeping your joints lubricated.
9. It puts you in a good mood.
10. It saves you money.

  • Smiling for sixty seconds, even when you're in a bad mood, will immediately improve your mood.
  • Always exercise on Monday. This sets the psychological pattern for the rest of the week.
  • When you find yourself looking in the fridge out of boredom, drink the biggest glass of water you can find. You'll be too full to want food.
  • Stretch for five minutes before going to bed. Your muscles will be more relaxed and it'll be easier to find a comfortable position to sleep in.
  • Eating plenty of unsalted sunflower seeds is a great home remedy for reducing your cholesterol.
  • Want to lose weight? Eat more spicy food. Spicy foods trick your taste buds into being more satisfied with smaller portions.
  • Trying to eat less? Use a smaller plate. It tricks your mind into thinking there's more food and also limits what you can pile onto your plate. 
  • Losing one night of sleep will impair reasoning and brain function for four days.
  • When you're stressed out, try eating 1 cup of low-fat yogurt or 2 tablespoons of mixed nuts. The amino acids in them will help calm you down.
  • By simply owning a cat, your risk of heart attack decreases by 30%.
  • By thinking one positive thought every morning, you can psychologically trick yourself into being a happier person.
  • Learning to play a musical instrument or learning another language can actually slow down the aging process of the human brain.
  • The faster you eat, the more weight you gain.
  • If you fall asleep within five minutes of going to bed, it's an indication that you're sleep-deprived.

Taken from the book Life Hacks by Keith Bradford

Life Hacks